Thank You
by Sweet Obsidian Rain
Summary: A series of unrelated drabbles and oneshots revolving around the theme 'thank you'. Dedicated to different people. Various Pairings. 03: Merci. Feat: AtoOshi, Niou Yagyuu, Golden Pair, YukiSana. 'Why not give me a chance? '
1. Danke

Hello! xD Rea here starting a series of one-shots and drabbles dedicated to various people. The overall theme for everything will be focused on "**Thank You**", and maybe a word prompt. **There is no definite pairing, nor is there a specific time line **because the one-shots and drabbles are written for different people.

These first four drabbles are dedicated to everyone who has supported me so far. My friends here on FF, readers, reviewers, fans... Everyone. Without the support, help, encouragement, criticism, etc. from everyone, I do not think I would have made it this far. Enjoy!

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**Set 01: Danke**(Thank You)

By Sweet Obsidian Rain

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**01: Everlasting Feelings : Thrill Pair**

It was times like these did Ryoma feel extremely guilty for not listening to Fuji.

He walked next to the older boy and cringed each time he saw Fuji shiver in the cold. Glancing down at himself, he played with the hems of the slightly oversized sweater that belonged to his boyfriend.

"_Remember to wear something warm so you don't catch a cold, Ryoma-chan."_

Fuji's words still echoed in his ears as he stared the older boy's skin, red from the cold. Ryoma cursed himself for shrugging off his lover's caring words like he often did (which usually resulted in him landing in trouble or in an awkward situation).

It was mid November now, and the cold weather was moving in quickly. Ryoma had known that the day was going to be chilly, but he hadn't expected it to be like this! He huffed silently to himself, and watched as his breath came out as white, misty vapor.

Fuji had frowned when Ryoma arrived at their planned meeting place shivering in a thin jacket that obviously wasn't keeping him warm at all. But they were already halfway from the movies, and Ryoma had refused to go back home to get something more suitable for the weather. The tensai eventually gave up and took off his green sweater, forcing the smaller boy to wear it when Ryoma shook his head, teeth chattering.

_Achoo!_

Fuji sniffed before rubbing his hands together. The sight was too much for Ryoma though, and the smaller boy reached out to an unsuspecting Fuji, pulling the tensai close to him. Wrapping his arms tight around the older boy, he mumbled into Fuji's shirt. "Let's hurry up."

The tensai stared at his lover for a few moments before he let out a light laugh. "Okay, then, Ry-o-ma-chan!"

Ryoma wrinkled his nose at the name, but let it go as he tugged at the older boy's hand. "_Come on_, Syusuke."

Fuji smiled teasingly. "Thanks for worrying, Ryoma-chan."

"Che. I'm _not_ worrying."

"Saa…"

**Owari.**

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** 02: Understanding : Pillar Pair**

He never had to tell him those two words. Somehow, the older boy always knew and understood how grateful Ryoma was to him.

Tezuka had taught him how to find his own style of tennis. He had taught and shaped him into a strong person. He turned Ryoma into a pillar of strength for others to depend on. Lastly, he loved Ryoma loyally and unconditionally.

What more could the boy ask for?

But as Ryoma watched how Tezuka was always there for him, even when the older boy's parents threatened to disown him, Ryoma wondered if what he had done for Tezuka was enough.

"Ryoma." Boy wonder looked up and locked eyes with hazel ones before he reached out and pulled Tezuka into a hug.

"Kunimitsu…"

"Hn?"

"Thank you." Ryoma felt strong arms wrap around his waist as Tezuka returned the hug.

The captain gave the boy a genuine smile and buried his face into the crook of Ryoma's neck. "There's no need."

_Because he always understood._

**Owari**

* * *

** 03:****A Supporting Thank You : AtobeYuuta**

Atobe was a person who always got what he wanted. Born to a wealthy family as the sole heir, the boy was raised to become an ambitious man, and one day, take over his father's business. But along with the wealth and fame came the responsibility and pressure that even Atobe Keigo was not ready to deal with.

Sometimes, even a king wanted to be carefree.

It was selfish, yes. But the selfish need and desire in the boy did not make him feel guilty. No, instead it made him feel connected to the ordinary people out in the world. It was an anchor that held him from being swept away by the waves of politics and money.

But there was always a certain someone who stayed by his side and supported him silently. Lending him strength and relieving him of the building stress as the young heir grew. That someone accepted him for who was, and made him drop the mask he put on for the world to see. That someone gave Atobe the breaks that he needed.

"Yuuta," Atobe called out quietly as he reached his hand out to shake the sleeping boy awake.

"Mhhmm… five more minutes, Kei…" The bed shifted as Yuuta turned on his side and buried his face into one of Atobe's many pillows.

The action made the gray-haired boy smile affectionately as he shook his head. Ah well, Yuuta probably was pretty exhausted, having stayed up all night to watch over Atobe as the young heir pulled an all-nighter for his final exam on Monday. Atobe sighed resignedly and decidedly to let his boyfriend sleep on. After all, if Yuuta went home in the morning with bags under his eyes, no doubt Fuji Syusuke would come after Atobe with all sorts of torture devices.

The Hyoutei captain gently pulled the covers over Yuuta, carefully, so that he would not wake the boy up. He leaned over and gave the sleeping tennis player a peck on his forehead. "Arigatou ne, Yuuta. Sweet dreams."

Atobe returned to reading his textbooks, occasionally taking down notes on certain areas the boy thought he needed to work on. Too engrossed in his studying, he didn't notice as Yuuta cracked open one eye to watch him. The youngest of the Fuji siblings allowed himself to smile awkwardly.

"_You're__ welcome, Keigo._"

**Owari**

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** 04: Sweet Winter : (Implied) Sweet Pair**

"Marui-san!"

Marui slowly turned around, and was immediately tackled into the snow by his number one fanboy. "Jiroh…"

"Marui-san!" Jiroh beamed at him and held up a box. "I got something for you."

The self-proclaimed tensai blinked, still chewing on his gum. "…What?"

"I said I got something for you!" The normally sleeping boy pushed the box into Marui's hands before getting off his idol. The boy stood there, as if waiting for Marui to open the box.

"Uh… Thanks." The redhead smiled sheepishly at Jiroh before he untied the ribbon around the box and opened it. The aroma of freshly baked strawberry shortcake had Marui's mouth watering as he stared at the sweet.

"Ah!" Jiroh's sudden exclamation made the self-proclaimed tensai look up. "I have to go, Marui-san, or Atobe-buchou will yell at me!" The boy turned around, and took off, yelling over his shoulder, "See you!"

The Rikkai Dai player stared after his fanboy before his face broke into a smile. "Thanks for the treat, Jiroh."

But the boy was already long gone.

**Owari**

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Done! Hope you enjoyed it! xD I have to go now, but the next four drabbles will be: TezukaFuji (Perfect Pair), AtobeRyoma (Royal Pair), OshitariGakuto (Dirty Pair), and YukimuraFuji (Pretty/Smiling Pair).

Lastly, review please!

_First Unrevised Version 11.3.07_


	2. Ευχαριστω

Disclaimer: …What am I doing here if I owned this series?

Just a heads up, I will be attempting different things in this collection.

I would like to dedicate these next four ficlets to the wonderful writers here in the world of fanfiction. Those who have written such amazing stories for everyone to read... You are the ones who have inspired me to write and gave me the strength to become a better writer. Much thanks. And please continue writing!

Enjoy!

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**Set 02: ****Ευχαριστω **(Thank You)

By Sweet Obsidian Rain

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**05: Ringing Bells : Perfect Pair **

They say that you're supposed to hear the chiming of church bells when you meet your significant other.

When I had first met him, the first thing I heard was the sound of bells. True, it was not church bells I had heard, but instead the school bell. However, I knew that when I first saw him, I was attracted. No, it was not 'love at first sight', as many people might have put it. What I had felt, I was sure, was mere physical attraction, fascination, and curiosity.

_Tezuka Kunimitsu. _

He was beautiful, the image of an angel who had lost his wings. A clichéd metaphor, but it was the only thing I could use to describe him. I could have used 'god', but… it didn't suit him. It just didn't.

I was fascinated by this boy who exceeded many of the set expectations people had for him. His passion and firm beliefs moved me even more. His quiet, unmoving, poker face personality poked at my curiosity. I wanted to know what was beneath that cold, yet charismatic façade of his.

During our first year, we were merely teammates. Semi-friends, you could say. I wanted to know more about him, but something held me back. As if a part of me knew that it wasn't the right time. It wasn't the emotion called 'love' yet. The attraction was still there, but overall, I was only curious.

_"Where is the real you?"_

He had asked. I didn't know how to answer. _The real me? _I had thought. _I don't know._

It was during our second year of junior high did we have classes together. I didn't even notice how close we had gotten until Eiji mentioned it to me one day.

_"Unya! Fujiko, you and Tezuka have been spending a lot of time together! You're not going to leave me, are you?"_

It was said as a joke, but I could sense his insecurity of losing his best friend. I shook my head, and assured him that we would always be best friends. I wasn't that worried though, because Eiji had Oishi to watch over him.

For sometime, I was contented to be part of Tezuka's tight circle of friends. For me, it was enough to watch him from afar, help him whenever he needed my aid, and spending time with him as friends. Just friends.

I became obsessed with Tezuka halfway through out second year. The more I got to know him, the more I fell for him. Yes, it was then that I realized that I was in love. I started bringing my camera with me everywhere, and took thousands and thousands of pictures of my angel. No one knew of my obsession. At least I didn't think anyone knew.

But I had a hunch that Nee-san did. Whenever I mentioned Tezuka, or whenever the two of us planned a study session together, Nee-san would always have a knowing smile on her face. I wasn't surprised, and I wasn't worried. Nee-san always understood.

So I was contented. But I wasn't happy.

I wasn't happy until that fateful day in the school library.

"Are you sure you can get it, Fuji?"

We were studying in the school library, working on a class project. I was up on a ladder, looking for the book we needed.

"Ahh, I see the book… Let me—!" I lost my footing while climbing up the ladder. Falling – it was pretty fast – and I didn't even realize that I was falling until I felt a pair of warm, strong arms catch me. My eyes were opened, and I stared into the face of Tezuka Kunimitsu. He was even more beautiful up close. My hands itched for my camera.

I hadn't expected Tezuka to lean in though; hadn't expected him to kiss me. But when I felt those warm lips upon my own, I was lost. Lost in the sweet moment of my first kiss. I didn't notice what was going on, I could only feel Tezuka holding me, and the bubbly feeling in me. I was happy; this was the real me. The 'me' that only Tezuka would be able to see.

Somewhere off in the distance, I was sure I could hear the faint sound of church bells ringing.

And I silently thanked the person who was ringing the bells.

**Owari **

* * *

**06: Obsessed Lover : Royal Pair**

The Monkey King, Ryoma was sure, was obsessed.

Oh, everyone knew that Atobe Keigo was obsessed with himself; his ego was bigger than the world itself.

But it made Ryoma wonder why he would be obsessed with that… that… stupid thing! The Monkey King would always appear at his house, school or whatever with that damned black, shiny limousine of his, petting it and whispering sweet nothings to it.

It was not alive, for goodness sake! But he treated it as if it was more important than Ryoma was, and Ryoma was his boyfriend. It wasn't fair.

---

"I'm off, Okaa-san!"

The door slammed, and a certain dark-haired boy ran out of the house gates. Momo had called last night to inform him that he could not give Ryoma a ride to school this morning. The boy sighed as he continued to walk to school.

The sound of a car, or rather, a familiar limo, came from behind the boy, making him walk faster. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the Monkey King and his beloved limousine.

"Ryoma."

He walked faster.

"Oi! Brat!"

The limo sped up to follow his pace, but boy wonder walked on, ignoring Atobe.

"Echizen Ryoma!" The diva had enough of being ignored though, and the limo stopped a few steps in front of the boy. The door opened and Atobe stepped out in all his glory. The older boy turned to face his bratty boyfriendwith his arms crossed, and demanded, "Why are you ignoring me?"

"Che. Move, Monkey King." He tugged at his hat.

"Get in the limo."

"No."

Atobe raised a brow and observed the boy quietly. Ryoma was a moody brat, but he wasn't normally this moody. Sighing, the gray haired boy asked, "What is it now?"

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you." Atobe narrowed his eyes.

"Just leave me alone, Keigo. I don't want to ride in that ugly thing," Ryoma snarled, annoyed.

"She is n—" The diva stopped, furrowing his brows. Suddenly realization dawns to him as to why his boyfriend had been so bratty lately whenever his limo was mentioned. He leaned in. "Jealous of a vehicle, Ryoma-chan?"

The boy scowled. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe it's because," Atobe paused and glanced down at Ryoma.

"Because?"

The boy wonder gave a sudden yelp when Atobe unexpectedly pulled him into the limo. "Let go Monkey King!"

"You're jealous because I haven't been paying enough attention to you," Atobe deadpanned.

Ryoma scoffed, "As if— Mmmm…" The struggling stopped, and all the frustration seeped out of the boy as he melted into the hot kiss. And somehow, what was supposed to be a peaceful walk to school turned into a heated make-out session in a limousine.

Atobe was about to unzip Ryoma's pants when the boy suddenly pulled away. "Wha?"

The brat smirked at the obvious bulge in Atobe's pants. "Mada mada dane, Monkey King. I need to go to school." Ryoma briefly rearranged his uniform and gave himself a check over before opening the door, and stepping out.

Leaving Atobe with a slight problem.

Snickering, Ryoma gave a nonchalant wave, and walked off, entering the school gates. The King of Hyoutei rolled down the windows, fuming, and shouted after his boyfriend. "Oi! Be grateful that Ore-sama gave you a ride to school!"

All he got back was another half-hearted wave, and a smirk. _"Mada mada dane."_

**Owari **

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**07: Protector : Dirty Pair **

"You're a disgrace!" A man in his forties roared, abruptly pushing a redhead away from him. The man's eyes were filled with rage, and disgust. "I don't have a son like you!"

"'Tou-san, please…" The redhead begged. "Please… I love Yuushi."

"Love? You call this…! This… messing around 'love'?!" The man brought his hand back, preparing to get a good blow at the boy kneeling in front of him. "Look at you! What kind of person did I raise my son to become? Not this!"

"'Tou-san…"

"Shut up! You're not my son!"

_"You're not my son!"_

A sound of a mirror breaking. The picture of a perfect family ruined, the happiness of a child's broken. Bitter tears dripped down Gakuto's face as he opened his eyes to meet his father's furious gaze, not afraid to take the blow that his father was sending down right at that moment.

He had expected the slap, or punch, or whatever the man was going to deliver.

_Slap. _

But the blow never reached him. Gakuto was suddenly aware of the person hovering in front of him, holding him close, and protecting him. Instead, the slap that had clearly been meant for him was taken by Oshitari Yuushi instead.

"Stop, Mukahi-san."

The man glared, hard, at the blue haired boy in front of him. "Move! You have no right to interfere. It was you who started this mess to begin with!"

But Oshitari stood his ground, and glared back. "No matter how much you say he is not your son, he still has your blood in his veins. He is your son, and you cannot deny the truth. Please open your eyes, Mukahi-san."

The man only glared, shaking with anger.

"You were the one that had taught him to be who he is. You cannot blame Gakuto for being true to himself."

"Shut up! That's..!"

"Don't deny it. How can you call yourself a father? What kind of man are you?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" The man screamed, throwing his head back, closing his eyes to let out tears of regret. Slowly he sank to the ground, trembling. "Why? Why is my son such a…"

Gakuto watched his father with wide eyes, and his gripe on Oshitari tightened. Turning away, he buried his face in the boy's shirt. "Y-Yuushi…"

"Shhh… It's over now, love. I'm here, and I won't leave you." The tensai rocked the boy in his arms gently, ignoring the man and his family, who were watching them.

_'Thank you for being here, Yuushi. I love you.'_

**Owari **

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**08: Get Well Card : (Implied) Smiling/Pretty Pair **(This is more like friendship…)

_Ne, get well, Yuki-kun. That way we can meet at the Nationals. _

_Fuji__ Syusuke_

Yukimura smiled faintly to himself, amused, at the 'get well' card that Fuji, the tensai of Seigaku, had sent him.

"I don't get why that Fuji Syusuke would send a card to 'Mura-buchou. And after we lost to them too."

"Akaya!" Sanada glared. Losing at the Kanto Tournament to Seigaku was still a sore spot of Rikkai Dai. Or at least it still was to Sanada. The others, instead, were training, confident that they would come out victor at the Nationals. (Not that Sanada wasn't training, but the others didn't view their defeat as badly as their fukubuchou did.)

"Maa… Genichirou, it's fine. We did lose, after all… But we will make a come back." Yukimura's smile widened.

All the Rikkai Regulars sweatdropped, "As expected of Yukimura…"

---

"The weather looks great today," the blue-haired boy commented to himself, finally alone. His team had left, off to another around of intense tennis practice.

Deciding to go out for a walk, Yukimura quickly grabbed a thin jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders before exiting his room. He pushed open the door to a staircase that led up to the rooftop of the hospital. Climbing up, Yukimura's thoughts brought him back to the card he had received earlier today.

It was sweet of the tensai to send the card. It had been a while since they had talked. Not many people knew, but ever since Fuji had found out that Yukimura was in the same hospital as Tachibana was, the honey-haired tensai had visited quite frequently. The captain of Rikkai suspected that it was curiosity that had led Fuji into meeting him.

_"May I help you?" Yukimura asked politely, seeing a honey-haired boy looking around, as if he was looking for someone. _

_The boy turned around, a cheerful smile on his face. "As a matter of fact, yes, Yukimura-san." _

_"Eh?" The blue haired boy looked at him in surprise. "You know who I am?" _

_"Of course! Everyone knows who Yukimura Seiichi, the captain of Rikkai Dai, is." _

_Yukimura raised a brow. "And you are?" _

_"Ahh. Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. Fuji Syusuke of Seigaku, pleased to make your acquaintance." _

_Yukimura nodded, remembering the team that their second year ace was talking about. "Likewise."_

Reaching the top of the stairs, Yukimura reached out to push open the door to the rooftop. The boy blinked in surprise at the figure standing at the fence surrounding the edge of the place. "Fuji-kun…"

Fuji turned around, and beamed. "Ahh. Yuki-kun, I see your teammates visited you today…"

"They did," Yukimura walked up to stand next to the shorter boy. "I got you card, by the way. Really like the smiling cacti cartoon on it."

"That's good. I was worried that you wouldn't like it…"

Yukimura shook his head. "I like it very much, Fuji-kun. Thank you."

Fuji hummed quietly to himself, and looked out at the landscape below him. "Just get well."

**Owari**

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My god, I don't know what's wrong with me. After finishing the Royal drabble, my writing got all sloppy. I read over my Dirty Pair one, and it didn't really make sense to me. I was like, "What was I doing?" xD Oh well. If you don't get it, you're insane, like me. And if you do get it… You're crazy. xD (Not meant to be taken seriously.)

Anyways, the next four drabbles with be: OshitariAtobe, NiouYagyuu, Golden Pair, and… A secret surprise. xD

Review, ne? (Oh, and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!)

_First Unrevised Version 11.22.07 _


	3. Merci

Disclaimer: Here's one thing I would do if PoT was mine: Make Fuji screw Ryoma raw in every single episode. Thrill ate what was left of my brain.

Nya, I just read through some of my old work and I am seriously horrified by all the mistakes and typos in them. X-X Anyway, I have a poll on my profile that I would like everyone to take. As of mid February, one of my on-going stories will be selected for me to focus on finishing. Once that story is close to being done, I will focus on another. I would like all my readers to vote for which fic. For more information, go to my profile.

Well, on with the (not really) drabbles! This next set is dedicated to all the people on FF and LJ that I know. Like, I've actually have at least a few decent conversations with you. You should know who you are. Enjoy!

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**Merci** (Thank You)

By Sweet Obsidian Rain

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**09: OshitariAtobe : Allergy**

_"Keigo, I really think we should go to your place and not mine."_

_"Nonsense! Your mansion is as good as mine. What, are you ashamed to show me to your family, ahn?"_

---

Atobe sniffed.

And rubbed his nose. After a while he reached down to scratch his calf before standing up to rub his eyes which were red and watering and itchy.

He then turned to glare at the offending creature in his boyfriend's arms. "Yuushi, I order you to get rid of that… that… horrible and ugly looking thing— _achoo_!"

"Meorw."

The Hyoutei tensai raised a brow, amused, and hugged the 'thing' closer to him. He sighed, "Keigo, I promised my cousin to look after her until he gets back from camp."

"I don't care! Yuushi, that thing is making Ore-sama's beautiful skin.. ahh… ah… bad! _Achoo_!"

But Oshitari only stared as Atobe took out a purple packet of soft, lavender smelling tissues and sneezed into them. His nose itched, and he wondered how his boyfriend could stand those poisonous smelling tissues, but not the adorable pet in his arms. He stared more.

And sighed. "Keigo, if you really can't stand being around Kazu-chan, then go home. I can't just get rid of such a helpless thing." Oshitari looked down to look at the white kitten and smiled tenderly at it. "Isn't that right, Kazu-chan? Uncle Yuushi just can't abandon you until your daddy comes back, right?" The bluenet turned to climb up the stairs, expecting Atobe to leave. Yes, his boyfriend would be fuming and sulking, no doubt ordering everyone to run laps until they couldn't feel their muscles anymore the next day, but he could deal with that. He'd rather deal with a sulking Atobe Keigo than an irritated (bitchy) Atobe Keigo.

"Fine!" Twirling around, Atobe stomped out of the house and into his limousine, muttering and sniffing and scratching all the way home.

---

_Later…_

"Keigo-bocchama, your friend's maid is here. Should I send her away?" a butler announced as he bowed his head before looking up to meet the young heir's eyes.

Atobe glanced at the man, his expression dark, and his nose running. Obviously, the boy was still upset about what happened between him and his boyfriend today. "No. Send her up."

"As you wish." The man bowed and exited the room. A few minutes later, the butler returned with a familiar woman in tow.

"Tanami-san." Atobe nodded, "What do I owe this visit to?"

"Atobe-sama, Yuushi-bocchama had me deliver this to you." Walking up, he presented the boy with a box.

Staring at the said box warily, Atobe slowly reached out to take it. "What is it?"

"Allergy medicine, sir."

"Hmm. I see…"

The maid bowed and quietly excused herself, "Then I shall take my leave. Take care, Atobe-sama."

But Atobe was not listening to her anymore. He was absorbed in his own world, reading the words on the box while sniffing. The corners of his lips tugged up in a smile. "Thanks, Yuushi."

Now… To get rid of the itching…

**Owari**

* * *

**10: Platinum Pair : Sanada**

"That's Rikkai's first doubles, right? I heard they're the best pair the school has."

Niou's ears twitched as he walked to the tennis courts with his doubles partner, picking up the whispering around him.

"Ah! That's right. The Trickster, Niou Masaharu, and the Gentleman, Yagyuu Hiroshi."

"They're so strong. I wonder what their secret is."

A smirk found its way to his face.

"Yeah… how did they become partners, anyway?"

As the two entered the court, the gossiping slipped out of their hearing range. Immediately, the pair set out jogging a few laps for warm up. The club member that were there before them were still jogging. After all, Rikkai Dai was an advance school, and would expect no less from its students.

They turned around the corner in unison, passing their fukubuchou, who stood there watching over the jogging tennis players like a hawk. Yagyuu gave a brief nod, and Niou gave a half-hearted wave in greeting. The silver haired boy's smirk grew bigger when he saw Sanada's eye twitch.

_"Yeah… how did they become partners, anyway?"_

The question formed itself in Niou's mind, and Yagyuu, being the one who knew the other boy best, left his partner to his thoughts.

It was simple, really.

Sanada was the one who placed them together as a doubles partners.

_"Niou, because you were the one who recruited him, you are responsible for being his doubles partner."_

At first, he had objected, angry. Sure, Yagyuu was an interesting person, but he did not need a partner. He was a singles player. That was what he had thought.

But Sanada ignored their protests, and forced the two to play together. Niou had tried going to Yukimura, but the blue-haired captain only smiled and said firmly, "I trust Genichirou."

The silver haired boy had stormed out of the school gates, furious, until Yagyuu found him taking out his anger on a bantered tree. The "Gentleman", as many people had started calling Yagyuu, held him back from the tree. Once Niou finally calmed down, did the bespectacled boy speak, "Why not give me a chance?"

The question made Niou freeze in mid-action of retying his shoe laces. _Why?_ The boy found himself wondering as well.

"Do you really hate working with me that much?"

_No_. Niou's fingers started working again, but he took his time tying his shoes.

Yagyuu continued on, noticing that his partner was not going to talk. "Can you at least try?"

_Can I?_

"I don't know," Niou found himself saying. _I really don't._

"Then give me a chance. If you find me an unreliable partner, then I will talk to buchou immediately."

The Trickster looked up. "How do you know if Yukimura will agree?"

"I don't."

_Then how can I trust you?_ Niou's silent question hung in the air.

Yagyuu shrugged. _Just try._

"Fine."

And that was what started their partnership that dominated the tennis courts. Of course, they got closer as friends as well (which later bloomed into something more, but that was another story). It came along with the partnership.

_So_, Niou concluded, _another thing that I can blame on Sanada-fukubuchou._

But if Sanada had never done that, then he would not have gotten to know Yagyuu as he did now. He would not have his precious person beside him.

Deep down, Niou knew that both Yagyuu and him were grateful to Sanada.

Not that Niou was ever going to thank the stoic boy out loud.

**Owari**

* * *

**11: Golden Pair : Anniversary **

"Come on, Oishi! You're so slow!" a certain redhead whined as he tugged on his lover's arm. The pout was obvious on his lips as he bounced impatiently, pulling harder to get Oishi to speed up.

"Eiji, calm down. I'm coming," Oishi Syuichirou said, chuckling lightly. "Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see, nya. Just follow me!" The exclamation was followed by more tugging, and Oishi, finally getting the message, sped up to meet his love's demands.

And so the two walked, occasionally stopping when Eiji found something that excited or fascinated him— which was a lot— and ogled at it. He would point, jump, and make cute little noises that showed his enthusiasm, making Oishi laugh at his antics. But the acrobatics player would remember his purpose for the day and pull at his boyfriend's arm, saying that they would be late if they didn't get going.

Slowly, the busy streets filled with shops turned into a quiet trees and roads with cars driving by occasionally. Oishi recognized the surroundings immediately as they reached Takadai Park (1). Of course, the container was gone now, due to construction. In its place was a small bench that faced the open sky.

"What are we doing here?"

"Hoi! Sit down first," the redhead commanded before flopping down onto the green bench, wincing when his rear met with the hard metal none-to-gently. "Ow…"

Oishi's brows shot up and his hurriedly rushed to his boyfriend's side. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? Any bruises?" The man continued to fuss until Eiji gently placed a hand on his arm and yanked. Oishi's knees folded, and he winced as well when his bottom met with the bench.

"Nyaa Look!" Eiji pointed at the sky, where the sun was slowly setting. "Isn't it beautiful?"

The black-haired man followed Eji's finger in response before looking at the sky. Hues of blue mixed with warm, red and orange filled his vision. Purple and brown blended in with the red and the sun, a bright yellowish gold was only half a sphere as he slowly disappeared. "Aa…"

The acrobatics player hummed, pleased. "Ne, Oishi, remember when I said I had a surprise for you? Well, this is it!"

"E-eh? Thank you, but… "Oishi paused, troubled. "What is the surprise for though?"

Eiji's expression clearly showed his horror at Oishi's question. "You mean you don't remember?" His azure eyes were wide with disbelief, and Oishi could tell that his lover was refraining from pulling his own hair in frustration.

Oishi quickly weighed his options.

He shook his head.

"Baka Oishi! How could you forget our eighth anniversary since we met here?!"

Oh.

So that was it.

But…

"Eiji, our anniversary isn't until two days later," he said, sweatdropping slightly.

The cat-like man blinked, narrowed his eyes, before opening them wide in realization. "Eeeeeeeh?!"

The sound echoed throughout the park, making birds nearby fly off in alarm. The crickets stopped chirping, and the bushes rustled. Eiji's expression was frozen as he stared at his lover.

Oishi chuckled nervously. "But thank you, anyway…?" It sounded like a question, but never mind that. "At least we get to celebrate it early."

Slowly, Eiji's face unfroze, but it was now unreadable. "Eiji…?" Oishi leaned in and poked at the redhead's cheek.

"Ne… Oishi, what's the date?"

The man sweatdropped even more.

_That's just so you._

"The 26th."

_But I don't want anything less._

**Owari**

* * *

**12: YukimuraSanada : Silent Angel**

_"It's them. Yukimura Seiichi and Sanada Genichirou."_

_"Heh. That Sanada doesn't even look a bit ashamed of his loss to that Seigaku first year."_

_"Eh… Senpai, I'm sure Sanada-senpai dealt with his lost in his own way. Besides… He has Yukimura-senpai to help him."_

_"Whatever."_

_"Doesn't it look like Yukimura-senpai is Sanada-senpai's angel?"_

---

Angel… angel… angel…

That word, that simple, yet complex word that that echoes in every corner of my mind.

Am I really good enough to be your angel?

No, I don't think so. I can't be your angel.

How could I be your angel, when I've done so little for you? How can I compare to the time and dedication you gave when I was away, trapped in the hospital? Compared to all the time you spent with me as I suffered, I have done nothing for you.

And yet, being near you gave me strength; it gave me the desire to live and be strong. It gave me the will to go ahead with the surgery, and fight for my life.

Perhaps… perhaps…

I am not your angel, but you are mine.

You are my angel of salvation, Sanada Genichirou, and for that, I am grateful.

For that, I shall try my best to eventually be your angel in return.

And as I looked across the court at you, your form bent over, your eyes trained on me, ready to return my serve, I found myself saying, "Just because you did all that, I'm not going easy on you, Gen."

But you did not hear as I had already served, and you were off, ready to hit the ball back as it bounced in the service box.

Ah well, I thought. Everything is fine this way, right?

_Right._

**Owari**

* * *

T.B.C. 

1. Takadai Park- You guys know the park that Oishi and Eiji goes to a lot to sit on that big box/container thing? That's the park, I made sure to watch the anime carefully, so yeah. xD

I'm pathetic. This document was sitting in its folder for like, two months, and the only thing I needed to complete this was the last drabble (which didn't really turn out as I would of liked it to be). I'm too lazy.

Anyway, the next drabbles will be dedicated to…five (I think) specific people, who I will not mention yet. BUT! A few of the pairings that will appear are ShishidoRyo_ma_ (Awin, I hope that gets you to stop thinking 'Shishido Ryou xD), FujiRyo, and NiouKirihara. The other one (or two) will be decided after I get started. xD

For now, please review!

_First Unrevised Version 1.18.08_


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